AMBER Alert in Indian Country – Issue 3 2020

Indian Country involved in 1,000th AMBER Alert successful recovery

Amber Hagerman, for whom the AMBER Alert is named.
Amber Hagerman, for whom the AMBER Alert is named.

A case that ended with the safe recovery of four missing children from the Arapaho Tribe in Wyoming became the 1,000th AMBER Alert success story. AMBER Alerts were issued in Wyoming and Colorado for the missing children, ages 5, 6, 11 and 14. Authorities believed they were be in imminent danger after being taken by their non-custodial mother. A citizen saw the alert and helped police recover the children from a motel in Colorado. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has been documenting all successful AMBER Alert recoveries after the program began in 1996.

Wisconsin starts task force for missing and murdered Indigenous women

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul launched a new task force to help fight the abduction, homicide, violence, and trafficking of Native women in the state. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Task Force will examine contributing factors to the crimes and focus on understanding the roles of federal, state, and tribal jurisdictions. The task force will also improve and implement data collection and reporting methods.

“The problem of violence against women and children and the disproportionate impact on Native women and communities is the responsibility of all of society to address,” said Kristin Welch, Menikanaehkem Women’s Leadership Cohort-MMIW Coordinator. “For meaningful long-term reform, we must look to solutions that are Indigenous-led while addressing both historical acts of violence against Indigenous women as well as those that still exist today within modern institutions.”

Portland hosts Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Awareness Week panel

The Portland Tribal Relations Program sponsored “Strengthening the Safety Net: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Awareness Week” from May 3-8, 2020. Tribal, state, and federal representatives participated in a panel that included discussions on the complexities surrounding missing and murdered indigenous women and the dynamics of enforcement for tribal protection orders.

Annual tribal youth conference held online in 2020

Unity Logo

Team members from the AMBER Alert Training and Technical and Assistance Program, AMBER Alert in Indian Country (AATTAP-AIIC) participated in United National Indian Tribal Youth conference that was held through several online sessions from June 25-July 29, 2020. The conference included presentations on missing and exploited children and other issues facing young Indigenous people.

Operation Lady Justice consultations begin to address missing and murdered American Indians

The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives, also known as Operation Lady Justice, is beginning a series of consultations to get a better understanding of the scope and nature of issues regarding missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The consultations with tribal governments were originally set to begin in March but were moved online to August and September because of the pandemic.

AMBER Alert information to be shared at Oklahoma Red Earth Festival

AATTAP-AIIC representatives will take part at the 33rd Annual Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City on September 5-6, 2020. AIIC team members will host a resource table and speak with attendees on resources available to assist tribes with developing or strengthening missing and exploited children programs in their communities.

New tool available for Native American survivors of crime and abuse

The National Congress of American Indians, Tribal Law and Policy Institute and National Center for Victims of Crime has created a web-based resource mapping tool to help Indigenous victims of crime and abuse. The Tribal Resource Tool also received input from tribal stakeholders across the U.S. The searchable database includes a list of all available services and helps identify gaps so they can be addressed.